Miami, Florida, United States | Libna Stevens/IAD
The Seventh-day Adventist Church in Inter-America is still in the process of assessing the damaging effects of Hurricane Matthew which tore through Haiti, Cuba, and The Bahamas this week.
No deaths among Seventh-day Adventists have been reported yet, said Pastor Israel Leito, president of the church in Inter-America, who has been in daily telephone contact with top leaders in Haiti, Cuba, and The Bahamas as well as several other Caribbean islands.
Adventist World Church President Ted N.C. Wilson, prays outside of his office with IAD top leaders, on Oct. 6, in Maryland, United States Image by Orlando Ramirez
Hundreds of deaths are being reported in Haiti so far.
“We express our sympathy to the citizens living in our union territories affected by the hurricane, and praise the Lord for the protection of the lives of His people,” said Pastor Leito.
There is damage to many church properties and assessment will take place in the coming days, he said.
Adventist World Church President Ted N.C. Wilson paused during the church’s executive meetings yesterday at the General Conference Headquarters in Maryland, to pray with top Inter-American Division leaders for church members affected by Hurricane Matthew.
Hurricane Matthew devastates Haiti
Hurricane Matthew moved into Haiti’s south peninsula on Oct. 3, and stayed for nearly 36 hours. It brought winds in excess of 136 miles an hour and dumped enough rain to cause mudslides, flooding, and bridges and roads to collapse. In addition, homes, schools and churches were destroyed or damaged. The last storm this severe to hit Haiti was in 1963, according to the National Meteorological Center.
Matthew swept away everything in its path in the west, southeast, Artibonite, and northwest departments, said Fritz Bissereth, Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) Haiti country director. More than 350,000 people are estimated to be in need of immediate assistance, 100 schools were damaged, and 80 percent of crops were lost.
Tree fallen at the entrance of the ADRA south region office Petit-Goave. Image by Enock Bertrand
“We know that many church members were affected and many church buildings were left without roofs and schools, too,” reported Pastor Pierre Caporal, president of the church in Haiti. So far, Caporal has not received a report of deaths among church members, yet no assessment have come from the worst-hit region in Grand-Anse and the south peninsula, which remains without communication. The storm caused damage in the central and northwest regions of the country as well.
There are more than 90,000 church members who live in the South Haiti Mission – nearly one-third of the church membership in the Haiti, explained Caporal. “We are concerned for our members and will be working on an intervention in favor of our members during this great time of need,” Caporal added.
ADRA Haiti has already begun working with the mayor’s office in Carrefour to provide water, food and medical care to 70 internally displaced persons, according to Bissereth.
ADRA and its volunteers are preparing to provide food, water, and hygiene kits to 800 families in the most affected areas in the south and Grand-Anse departments as soon as it is possible to transport, said Bissereth.
An Emergency Response Team from ADRA International and ADRA Inter-America has been established to support efforts in the field for greater assessment and response to the affected regions, said David Poloche, ADRA Inter-America director.
Damage caused by Matthew in south Haiti. Image by ADRA Haiti.
Bissereth reports that a Global Medic team from Canada is already deployed from the national ADRA office in Carrefour and the south ADRA region in Petit-Goave to provide more than 25,000 liters of potable water to the victims in the south region. “I am in touch with other European partners who are interested in helping,” said Bissereth.
ADRA director praises God amid the countless hours of work ahead during the aftermath of the Matthew. “God has preserved the ADRA staff and offices to continue assisting the most vulnerable and needy populations during this difficult time, so God is good,” Bissereth said.
Matthew pounds Cuba
Matthew continued on its path to the eastern part of Cuba for more than seven hours in the provinces of Guantanamo and Holguin, where thousands of people were evacuated to shelters. The government reported that five municipal districts were left without communication after Matthew overflowed rivers, damaged roads, swept through farming areas, and destroyed homes. No deaths have been reported yet.
Pastor Aldo Perez, president of the church in Cuba, said hundreds of people took shelter in the Baracoa Adventist Church. The 500-member church was built by Maranatha Volunteers International in the 1990s. The church has concrete walls and a solid roof, explained Perez. “We are so thankful that this church building was able to shelter so many people in the surrounding community.”
Daniel Aguilera, district pastor who leads the Baracoa Church, told of the moment the eye passed through the city. “There was an incredible calm and an intense heat and I could hear the water reaching my house three blocks inland,” said Aguilera. “All the roads along the edge by the coast were swept away and rivers overflowed.”
The church in Maisí, one of the worse-hit rural regions, suffered the wrath of Matthew. No assessment has been possible because of flooding and bridges leading to the area were destroyed.
“We are thankful that the Adventist church in Vertiente de Maisí sheltered dozens people from the community before the hurricane hit,” said Perez. The church was recently upgraded to withstand hurricane-force winds.
ADRA Cuba Director Daniel Pino traveled 1,000 kilometers from Havana to Santiago de Cuba earlier today to take clothes and supplies for when they can be delivered to Baracoa and Maisí in Guantanamo. Assessment of the damages and needs are still pending and it will depend on how soon driving access will be available, said Perez.
Damages in The Bahamas
Matthew brought rain and storm surge to The Bahamas, causing power to go out, flooding in coastal areas, and damage to several churches, local church leaders reported. No loss of life among church members has been reported for the Atlantic Caribbean Union territory, which oversees the church in The Bahamas, Cayman Islands and Turks and Caicos.
The Hillview Adventist Church in Nassau sheltered dozens of people during the storm, reported Dr. Leonard Johnson, president of the church in Atlantic Caribbean Union. “Our Adventist Church in New Providence sustained damage to its roof as well as the Johnson Park Adventist Church, and flooding occurred at Bahamas Academy,” said Johnson. The Word 88.3F Adventist radio station’s antenna in South Bahamas was completely damaged during the storm, he added.
Baracoa Adventist Church, in Baracoa, Cuba, shelter hundreds of people during Hurricane Matthew’s passage Oct. 4, 2016. Maranatha Volunteers International built the concrete church in the 1990s. Image courtesy of Maranatha International
Leonardo Rahming, ADRA director for the Atlantic Caribbean region, was able to go out today to assess some of the damages in Nassau, Bahamas, but the downed power lines, flooding, and debris on the roads made it difficult. “We will continue to assess the damage in the next few days for a complete report,” said Rahming.
Damaged antenna of the Adventist Radio Station 88.3 FM in Nassau, Bahamas, after Hurricane Matthew. Image provided by Atlantic Caribbean Union
Even if electricity is not on, Pastor Johnson said churches will open its doors tomorrow for worship. “We are grateful for the manifestation of God’s protection, and coming together for praise and worship during the Sabbath,” said Johnson. “This is an opportunity to continue putting our trust in God and help our neighbors to get through this process,” said Johnson.
Flooding was also reported in the Dominican Republic, St. Vincent and the Grenadines during the passage of Hurricane Matthew.
To learn more about the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Inter-America, visit us at interamerica.org
